Voluntary c-section

PenelopePond · July 2009

My dr told me today this is an option.

Anybody know anyone that's done this?

hisprincess06 · July 2009

Voluntary surgery...not for me!

SouthernBellelovesaYankee · July 2009

You generally want to avoid it.

But, I asked for one after 14 hours of labor and ZERO progress after cervidil and pitcoin.

AngelLuver_02 · July 2009

why agree to voluntarily have a major surgery to recover from with a newborn?

and I mean to schedule it voluntarily and not have been in labor with zero progress like SBLAY.

jenna0627 · July 2009

I know that my doctor doesn't do them on a voluntary basis as it's considered major surgery. Unless medically necessary I am hoping to avoid a c-section personally.

JCM083009 · July 2009

Is there a reason your Dr. views a c-section as a voluntary option? I'd be looking into the doctor's other views, rates, etc. Most won't or shouldn't perform major surgery with more risks for no good reason.

PenelopePond · July 2009

I told her I thought it'd be better to try labor and if nothing happens then do the c-section. I just didn't know if people did it.

brandonsarah · July 2009

Our insurance considers almost any c-section 'elective'- but they'll pay for it. Our doctor has talked to us about the possibility of a scheduled c-section due to the fact that our LO has been measuring 3 weeks ahead on high level ultrasounds since 30 weeks.

We have not signed up for one, as we are hoping he will be able to come on his own. However, if we make it to 40 weeks, there's a very good possibility that we will need a c/s due to LO's head circumfrence/size compared to my size.

starlingrose · July 2009

Yes my friend did it. I dont want to offend but she did it completely to avoid going into labour because she was scared. She made her decision on her first ob/gyn appointment. . . I thought maybe a little more effort could have been made on her part like reading about it, learning more, taking birthing classes to try different things ect. It felt really convienent to me and making a baby isnt online banking like seriously? If its medically needed then of course go for it, but to say HI my name is and I dont like the idea of ripping my crotch open so can I just not? Doesnt make sense. Its birth, its a miracle its not supposed to be easy.

ToledoDeux · July 2009

Why would you do this? And why would you assume there is a good chance of you "needing" a c/s after trying to labor?

lovesazzie · July 2009

AndreaR1983:
I told her I thought it'd be better to try labor and if nothing happens then do the c-section. I just didn't know if people did it.

Um no offense, but it seems ridiculous that you are the one telling the doctor this.........

Boizmom · July 2009

Sorry, I'm lurking over from 2nd tri and had to comment...

My best friend had one with her first. She said she just couldn't imagine pushing a baby out of her "special place". It had nothing to do with she "couldn't" or that the baby was "too big". She just didn't want to go into labor and push. To me, that's lazy and selfish. Before hand, I told her of my c-section, which was an emergency. I hated it. Recovery time was awful. She said she didn't care. There was no way she was "going to go through the pain of labor". Ummm, c-section is 100% more painful. But, what do I know?

She is planning another c-section this time. She is two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.

lovesazzie · July 2009

Boizmom:
Sorry, I'm lurking over from 2nd tri and had to comment...
My best friend had one with her first. She said she just couldn't imagine pushing a baby out of her "special place". It had nothing to do with she "couldn't" or that the baby was "too big". She just didn't want to go into labor and push. To me, that's lazy and selfish. Before hand, I told her of my c-section, which was an emergency. I hated it. Recovery time was awful. She said she didn't care. There was no way she was "going to go through the pain of labor". Ummm, c-section is 100% more painful. But, what do I know?
She is planning another c-section this time. She is two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.

Gotta LOL at this. I'm not going to hide it, I'm judging..

julia&jared · July 2009

We have been considering it because on one side of my family 7 people have had aneurysms and all but one has died from them (my mom) so when I brought this up to my doctor she said we could do a c/s or we would do vaginal w/ forceps and I would not push. So now that we have looked a little more into the history I am going in for a CT scan to see if there are any problem areas because I would rather know now and figure out which path to pursue because if it comes back clean I can do a vaginal delivery.

jenna0627 · July 2009

sazzie:

AndreaR1983:
I told her I thought it'd be better to try labor and if nothing happens then do the c-section. I just didn't know if people did it.

Um no offense, but it seems ridiculous that you are the one telling the doctor this.........

I find it odd that your doctor just talks about a c-section like it's nothing.

JCM083009 · July 2009

sazzie:
Boizmom:
Sorry, I'm lurking over from 2nd tri and had to comment...
My best friend had one with her first. She said she just couldn't imagine pushing a baby out of her "special place". It had nothing to do with she "couldn't" or that the baby was "too big". She just didn't want to go into labor and push. To me, that's lazy and selfish. Before hand, I told her of my c-section, which was an emergency. I hated it. Recovery time was awful. She said she didn't care. There was no way she was "going to go through the pain of labor". Ummm, c-section is 100% more painful. But, what do I know?
She is planning another c-section this time. She is two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.
Gotta LOL at this. I'm not going to hide it, I'm judging..

Ditto. We've totally messed up the view of birth in our society. It's so sad to me.

lovesazzie · July 2009

julia&jared:
We have been considering it because on one side of my family 7 people have had aneurysms and all but one has died from them (my mom) so when I brought this up to my doctor she said we could do a c/s or we would do vaginal w/ forceps and I would not push. So now that we have looked a little more into the history I am going in for a CT scan to see if there are any problem areas because I would rather know now and figure out which path to pursue because if it comes back clean I can do a vaginal delivery.

It doesn't seem like this is what the OP is talking about though... you have a medical concern, you aren't just saying "I'd rather have the baby cut out of me than push it out." Your situation makes sense, but major abdominal surgery just for the heck of it is strange!

AngelLuver_02 · July 2009

Boizmom:

Sorry, I'm lurking over from 2nd tri and had to comment...

My best friend had one with her first. She said she just couldn't imagine pushing a baby out of her "special place". It had nothing to do with she "couldn't" or that the baby was "too big". She just didn't want to go into labor and push. To me, that's lazy and selfish. Before hand, I told her of my c-section, which was an emergency. I hated it. Recovery time was awful. She said she didn't care. There was no way she was "going to go through the pain of labor". Ummm, c-section is 100% more painful. But, what do I know?

She is planning another c-section this time. She is two weeks behind me in her pregnancy.

no offense to your friend, but if she couldn't imagine going into labor and pushing out a baby, maybe she shouldn't have children.

HydePark · July 2009

For some reason I'm under the impression that celebrities get C-sections a lot....like, more than what seems normal. I don't know the details as to why so many of them seem to get them-- could be for health reasons or could be 'elective'. I thought I read an article somewhere that c-sections were 'popular' among the famous. I can see that kind of casual attitude towards major surgery trickling down into the thinking of common folk, i.e. 'Well so-and-so had it done, I'll do it too!'

mediadiva · July 2009

DO you want to have more kids? As I understand it it's very difficult to give birth vaginally again after a C/S (but it is possible, called a VBAC and some docs won't do it). Each time you get a C/S you get more and more scare tissue and your pregnancies can be more high risk because they keep cutting you open etc.

?No way in hell would I want to be sliced open and have my intenstines pulled out and shoved back in unless medically?necessary, but that's just me.?

lovesazzie · July 2009

HydePark:
For some reason I'm under the impression that celebrities get C-sections a lot....like, more than what seems normal. I don't know the details as to why so many of them seem to get them-- could be for health reasons or could be 'elective'. I thought I read an article somewhere that c-sections were 'popular' among the famous. I can see that kind of casual attitude towards major surgery trickling down into the thinking of common folk, i.e. 'Well so-and-so had it done, I'll do it too!'

I think the reason for this is that many of them have tummy tucks after.

Deanna J, · July 2009

no offense to your friend, but if she couldn't imagine going into labor and pushing out a baby, maybe she shouldn't have children.

Im sorry, that just seems incredibly rude. Indifferent

Its up to you completely. The thought of labor mortifies me, just because its a miracle doesnt mean it has to be done the ol' heave ho way. Whatever makes you comfortable is your choice. C-sections are very common these days. I personally dont think its being selfish( its affecting no one but you) nor lazy and I think people are just being a little to harsh about it.

MiddMomm · July 2009

IMHO: Unfortunately, c-sections are a lot easier to schedule than spontaneous labor... and thus, a doctor knows what he will be doing, and when. THIS is the medical field's downfall - giving us options that are selfish. Likewise, pregnancy is 42 weeks, NOT 40, like we are led to believe... so many inductions and/or schedule c's are made to accommodate the docs.

They also play up to us when we are at our weakest - but the light at the end of the tunnel of pain is so close - by offering epidurals and c-sections for various reasons that are not logical or practical. My hospital has an amazing 40% c-section rate!! Read any natural birth book and you will learn this, too - when you think it can't get any worse, it's almost over, and that is when health care professionals decide to strike with the offers to alleviate the pain.

::gets off soapbox::

PenelopePond · July 2009

kdlafalam:

no offense to your friend, but if she couldn't imagine going into labor and pushing out a baby, maybe she shouldn't have children.

Im sorry, that just seems incredibly rude.

Its up to you completely. The thought of labor mortifies me, just because its a miracle doesnt mean it has to be done the ol' heave ho way. Whatever makes you comfortable is your choice. C-sections are very common these days. I personally dont think its being selfish( its affecting no one but you) nor lazy and I think people are just being a little to harsh about it.

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm going this route. In fact I probably won't. I was curious about it.

My dr wasn't that casual about it, but I didn't figure anyone wanted a full script of my visit today. We were discussing my options and she said people do this, and if I was serious about it we'd talk. I told her that I'd rather try natural and do the c-section only if necessary, and I told her that because we were discussing my birth plan. It'd be horrible if she said that I had to try pushing and if that didn't work I'd have to push a little harder. She asked what I wanted and I told her.

soccermom-to-be · July 2009

I can honestly say that my recovery from a VB was very easy and not very painful. I have seen friends in so much pain post C-Section and I would never want to spend the first days of my baby's life suffering like that unless it was medically necessary. Also, you can't lift your baby or breastfeed across your chest; you have to lie down.

Why go through that 'just because'? I don't get that.

Soon2BMrsN · July 2009

I ended up with a c-section after 22 hours of labor... I would never have chosen to have it nor do I want to have another one.

Traycee1242 · July 2009

MiddMomm:

IMHO: Unfortunately, c-sections are a lot easier to schedule than spontaneous labor... and thus, a doctor knows what he will be doing, and when. THIS is the medical field's downfall - giving us options that are selfish. Likewise, pregnancy is 42 weeks, NOT 40, like we are led to believe... so many inductions and/or schedule c's are made to accommodate the docs.

They also play up to us when we are at our weakest - but the light at the end of the tunnel of pain is so close - by offering epidurals and c-sections for various reasons that are not logical or practical. My hospital has an amazing 40% c-section rate!! Read any natural birth book and you will learn this, too - when you think it can't get any worse, it's almost over, and that is when health care professionals decide to strike with the offers to alleviate the pain.

::gets off soapbox::

Here we go with all the "conspiracy theories" and all the OB's and hospitals are out for money.... ::eyeroll::

kyoto · July 2009

I have had both. My 2 month old was born via emergency c-section because of a prolapsed cord. Recovery was 1000 times harder and much more painful than the vaginal birth. I never ever ever want to go through that again. Why someone would voluntarily sign up for a c-section is beyond me.

Boizmom · July 2009

mediadiva:
DO you want to have more kids? As I understand it it's very difficult to give birth vaginally again after a C/S (but it is possible, called a VBAC and some docs won't do it). Each time you get a C/S you get more and more scare tissue and your pregnancies can be more high risk because they keep cutting you open etc.
No way in hell would I want to be sliced open and have my intenstines pulled out and shoved back in unless medically necessary, but that's just me.

After my emergency c-section, I did have a successful VBAC. You're right, a lot of Doctors and Hospitals won't allow this. The reason is because of a less than 1% chance of uterine rupture (depending on incision...most are the low transverse these days though) this is just about the same chance you would have if you had never had a c-section. A lot of Doctor's malpractice insurances won't allow them to do this either. There's a lot of politics involved and it really doesn't have anything to do with how safe it is...that's exactly what my Dr told me. I took my less than 1% risk and had no complications. But this is not saying that every woman wouldn't have complications. It happens but it's rare.

There's this great website. www.vbac.com Lot's of great information.

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